College Street roundabout suffers damage over the weekend

College Street roundabout suffers damage over the weekend

The roundabout at College and Ogelthorpe Streets was damaged over the weekend. (Christian Ferrante)

Tire tracks streaked across the brand-new landscaping Monday afternoon. The city won't be pressing charges.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) - The new roundabout at College and Oglethorpe Streets was damaged this weekend.

Tire tracks streaked across the brand new landscaping.

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office says no criminal charges have been filed and there's no investigation.

Both residents and officials want these tire tracks to be a lesson in safety.

"Can you imagine the confusion the first day a traffic light appeared?" said Andrew Silver.

It may not have gone so well.

"But if you could imagine this being a red light--and someone running a red light-- that could've been a fatality."

Andrew Silver, who is a professor at Mercer University and is involved in the Tattnall Square redevelopment, would rather have some chewed up landscape than a chewed up car.

"With a traffic circle, that person is running over the center of the circle--endangering nothing but the suspension of their car," said Silver.

That's what looked like happened over the weekend.

It only took a few hours after the grand opening before someone decided the roundabout at College and Oglethorpe Streets needed re-landscaping, or maybe he or she didn't see a sign.

"This traffic intersection was among the most dangerous in the downtown area," said Silver. "About 30 plus accidents per year. So I'll take those little divets in the landscaping over a fatality or an injury any day."

Injuries city officials hope to avoid--but drivers have to use the roundabout correctly.

"As you come to a roundabout, a yield sign does not mean stop completely," said Macon-Bibb External Affairs Director Chris Floore. "You want to keep the flow of traffic moving. You do want to enter with caution and keep driving. Remember that anyone already in the circle has the right of way."

Learning to drive through a roundabout--something Silver, who is involved with Friends of Tattnall Square, has warmed up to.

"And I know some of your viewers would be like no no no, but really, if you drive this awhile, you'll see that your anxiety level goes down when you're going around these traffic circles, and they go up when you're sitting at a traffic light," said Silver.

Floore says the city would be quick to fix the landscaping--probably in the next few days.

The damage is something they expected could happen, and they were prepared for it.